DNA polymerases in all organisms add only 5' nucleotides to the 3' end of a growing DNA strand, never to the 5' end. One possible reason for this is the fact that most DNA polymerases have a proofreading function that would not be energetically possible if DNA synthesis occurred in the 3' to 5' direction.
Consider the information in your sketch and speculate as to why proofreading would be problematic.
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Understand that DNA polymerases synthesize DNA in the 5' to 3' direction, adding nucleotides to the 3' end of the growing strand.
Recognize that DNA polymerases have a proofreading function, which involves removing incorrectly paired nucleotides and replacing them with the correct ones.
Consider the energy requirements for proofreading: in the 5' to 3' direction, the energy for adding a nucleotide comes from the hydrolysis of the triphosphate group of the incoming nucleotide.
Speculate that if DNA synthesis occurred in the 3' to 5' direction, removing an incorrect nucleotide would leave a monophosphate at the 5' end, lacking the necessary energy to add a new nucleotide.
Conclude that the lack of available energy for nucleotide addition after proofreading in the 3' to 5' direction would make the process energetically unfavorable, thus explaining why DNA polymerases synthesize in the 5' to 3' direction.
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Key Concepts
Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.
DNA Polymerase Function
DNA polymerases are enzymes responsible for synthesizing new DNA strands by adding nucleotides to the growing chain. They can only add nucleotides to the 3' end of the strand, which means that DNA synthesis occurs in a 5' to 3' direction. This unidirectional synthesis is crucial for maintaining the integrity and accuracy of DNA replication.
Proofreading is a critical function of DNA polymerases that allows them to correct errors during DNA synthesis. When an incorrect nucleotide is added, the enzyme can detect the mismatch and remove the erroneous nucleotide before continuing synthesis. This mechanism relies on the enzyme's ability to reverse its direction temporarily, which would be energetically inefficient if DNA synthesis occurred in the 3' to 5' direction.
The energetics of DNA synthesis refers to the energy requirements for adding nucleotides to a growing DNA strand. The process is driven by the hydrolysis of nucleoside triphosphates (NTPs), which release energy when incorporated into the DNA. If DNA polymerases were to synthesize DNA in the 3' to 5' direction, it would complicate the energy dynamics and potentially hinder the proofreading process, making it less efficient.
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